


Jasmine, Forever

by pipisafoat



Series: Jamieverse [6]
Category: In Plain Sight
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-29
Updated: 2011-05-29
Packaged: 2017-10-19 21:42:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/205521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pipisafoat/pseuds/pipisafoat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Subtitled: Jamieverse in 8 parts. 8 one-word prompts showing a progression through the first months of Jamie's life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jasmine, Forever

_i. forever_

Brandi glows.

It's moments like this when I wonder what Mary would have been like, had her father not walked out when she was exactly the age she was. A little older, and she wouldn't have been trapped taking care of her mother and sister for so long. A little younger ... and maybe she would be able to glow like her sister. Her sister, who just shoved the biggest diamond I've ever seen in my face.

"Isn't it just perfect, Marshall?" she asks, and I smile at her.

"It's wonderful. Congratulations."

With his arm around his new fiancée, Peter can't seem to stop grinning. "So, Mary, do we have your blessing?"

My partner shrugs. "Sure, whatever. Have fun." She leans in to me and mutters, "Maybe now she'll move out of my house," but I can tell that she's genuinely happy for the two of them. Brandi winks at me; I'm glad she can see it, too.

  
 _ii. wild_

"Marshall, it's Stan. Something's happened...."

It feels like my heart stops for a second. "Where is she?" I ask, gripping the phone tightly, already shoving my feet into boots, searching for my keys.

"Mary's okay. It's okay. She wasn't hit. The man she was with ... Peter Alpert..." My boss takes a deep breath before saying it all in a rush. "He was shot and died on the scene, right next to her."

"Goddammit." I slam the door behind me, not even bothering to lock it. I'm on my way to the only thing that's worth anything in my life. "Where is she?"

By the time I get to the hospital, Brandi's found her way to the morgue and is draped across her fiancé's body, crying loudly. Mary's standing in the hallway, glaring at the floor, and the nurse in the hall with her puts a hand on my arm.

"You'd best not get too close," he warns me. "She's not too happy, and she seems to be quite the fighter."

"I know," I tell him. "She's my fighter."

She fights my embrace for exactly fourteen seconds before collapsing against my chest and crying.

  
 _iii. amulet_

The day after Peter's funeral, a package arrives with Brandi's name on it. I bring it in when I come by with dinner, and she makes me open it, afraid that the people who killed Peter have come for her now.

It's a locket, engraved with the name she will never have: _Brandi Alpert_. She stares straight ahead as she fastens it around her neck, never even blinking.

  
 _iv. hurricane_

Mary whirls around me and glares at our boss. "I'm not the one who's popping out the kid, Stan. Brandi can take as much maternity leave from unemployment as she likes, but someone's got to bring home the diapers."

Stan raises his hands apologetically. "I'm just saying, if you wanted paid time off, you could get it. Since you're adopting him anyway."

"I'm not adopting him." Mary jerks the file out of my hands and marches to her desk. "I'm just being listed as a legal guardian because his father had the balls to go and die four months ago, if you remember that."

I shake my head at Stan and follow my partner across the room. "Mer, he's trying to help. Don't take his head off."

"I'm not going to be that kid's damn mother," she answers, jaw tight.

"No, but that doesn't mean you aren't his parent anyway."

"Fuck off," she hisses.

  
 _v. dewdrop_

She calls from the phone in her sister's hospital room to tell me to get Stan to arrange that maternity leave for her, after all. That's all she says. I'm in the room seven minutes later.

"Jesus, Marshall, I would have told you if I needed you," she says grumpily, but there's no real heat behind it.

"Where's Brandi?"

A nurse brings the newborn in as Mary answers. "She left. Just ... left. A note on the pillow telling me to take care of her son. He doesn't even have a name yet, Marshall." She sighs and takes the boy in her arms. "What was Peter's middle name?"

I think for a second. "Ryan. Peter Ryan Alpert."

"James Ryan Shannon, then." She nods to the nurse. "James Ryan Shannon." The baby moves, and she looks at him for a second. "Stop complaining. You're named after your car salesman daddy and your bank robber granddaddy. When you're older, you can decide which is the lesser of the two evils. Until then, you'll answer to Jamie."

Jamie burps loudly.

"Taking after your Aunt Mary already, I see." The glare she shoots my way is completely worth it. "Are you taking him home tonight?"

"Can you give me a ride?"

The ride turns into help getting him fed, changing his diaper, and settling him in to sleep. It's late before I leave her house, and I'm shaking dewdrops off my boots when my cell phone rings. I answer it as I unlock my front door.

"So, you'll be his godfather, right?"

  
 _vi. shuffle_

When I let myself into her house with dinner just two weeks later, I'm met with a sight I never thought I'd see. Mary's on the couch, asleep with Jamie stretched out on her chest. For a moment, I let myself imagine that they're both mine, and a smile spreads on my face.

Her eyes blink open. "Stop smirking, doofus," she mumbles, holding Jamie carefully as she sits up. "We got tired waiting for you to come home."

I take the boy from her and join her on the couch. "Did we, now?"

Mary shrugs. "Mi casa es su casa. The only reason I don't beg you to move into Brandi's room is the understanding that you need a restful night before work." She pauses, looks at the floor. "And the hope that maybe she'll come back soon and take care of her own kid," she mumbles.

"I talked to Bobby," I remind her. "He's taking some time off and is looking for her. She'll be back."

"He's not a detective for nothing," she agrees, and I shift Jamie carefully to wrap an arm around her shoulders.

"If you need me here, you know I'll stay." She leans against me and sighs. "I can put a bed in the nursery for now, since his crib is still in your room."

"Do it," she whispers, and I drop a kiss on the top of her head.

"You ready for dinner?" She nods, and I hand Jamie back. "I'll heat it up if you get out plates."

As she shuffles tiredly into the kitchen, I vow to be sure she starts getting a full night's sleep as often as I can make it happen. Jamie can spend some nights in my room, if that's what it takes.

  
 _vii. beguile_

One of my worst kept secrets is that I'm in love with Mary. It's never caused us any problems as work partners, or as friends, and it's not even that big a deal with us living together. It's all about context, and helping her take care of her nephew because his mother ran out the day after he was born isn't a context in which I even think about us having the kind of relationship I really want.

Except for the part where it's not exactly that easy.

I'm glad she leans on me, figuratively and literally, but it's quickly becoming torture to be so close to her all the time and not have her. I love that she's completely comfortable around me, except when she walks in while I'm in the shower because she can't get Jamie to stop crying. I adore coming home - home - to her, to a baby we're raising together, but there are nights when all I want is to be next to her in bed, to whisper in her ear that she can go back to sleep, I'll take care of him this time.

I pause outside the door every evening, take a second to get ahold of myself before going inside. Mary's usually waiting just inside the door for me, ready to trade Jamie for dinner, but she's not there today.

"Mer?" I call quietly, shutting the door gently behind me.

"In here." I follow her voice to her bathroom, surprised to find her standing in front of the mirror, holding Jamie. "A lady told me today that he looks just like me."

I can't quite read her. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Does she want him thought of as hers or not? "Mer..."

"Do we look like a family, Marshall?" She meets my eyes in the mirror and takes a step back, leaning lightly on me.

I put my arms cautiously around her waist. "Appearances can be deceiving," I reply carefully, and she smiles.

"Stop being so cagey." She pulls one of my arms up to help support Jamie, then reaches up behind her to hook her free arm behind my neck. "Do we look like a family?"

I close my eyes and rest my head against hers. "We look like the family I've always wanted," I answer honestly.

She twists and presses a quick kiss to my lips. "We're the only family this kid's got right now. Let's make it count, Uncle Marshall."

  
 _viii. jasmine_

We're relaxing in the backyard by her pool, Jamie chewing happily on a toy, watching the jasmine bloom, when my phone rings.

"It's Bobby," he says tersely. "Got something for you. Where are you?"

"Mary's house," I answer. "In the back." He hangs up, and before I can say anything to Mary, he rounds the corner of the house, followed by another person.

Mary sits up suddenly, and I feel the loss of her body warmth acutely in the night air. "Brandi?" she whispers.

She looks like she's been living on the streets since she took off, which explains why none of my contacts could ever locate her. She glances up from behind her hair and doesn't come any closer.

"Come and meet your son," Mary says gently. "Come and join our family again."


End file.
